Airport runway



P 1949- R. c. BURT 2,466,150

AIRPORT RUNWAY Filed Jan. 10, 1944 Inverdor: WW

Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPORT RUNWAY Robert C. Burt, Pasadena, Calif. Application January 10, 1944, Serial No. 517,758

10 Claims.

My invention relates to airplane landing fields wherein the abrasive action on the tires of landing planes is overcome or greatly reduced.

The primary object of my invention is to reduce the coelflcient of friction of the surface of the landing strip at either or at both ends of the runway.

A further object of the invention is to flood with water predetermined portions of an airplane landing field.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shallow pool of water that covers a predetermined portion of the airfield, wherein the level of the pool is automatically maintained.

A further object of the invention is to provide an airplane runway in which the leeward end is lubricated.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective way showing a shallow one end.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated, showing mainly the pool section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the runway pool taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1, showing the water sump and float valve control.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing how the pool of water may be frozen by the placement of refrigeration under the pools surface.

Fig. 5 is a crosssectional view of the lubricated portion of the runway wherein a flowing sheet of water is employed.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lubricated portion of the runway showing how a common sprinkling system may be used.

When an airplane makes a landing on an airfield, the stationary landing wheels contact the fields surface at the planes landing speed. This action is very destructive to tires and presents a serious problem to land-based airplanes.

Some attempts have been made by various manufacturers to provide mechanical means for rotating the wheels prior to landing. While this method is helpful, it also adds weight to the plane as well as presenting a problem in synview of an airplane runpool of water located near chronization. Inmy invention it is not necessary to further complicate the airplane with additional mechanism as it is accomplished by lubricating a predetermined portion of the airfield landing strip. This may be accomplished by lubricating the surface with fluid lubricant or with dry material having a low coeflicient of friction.

One of the most desirable lubricants for rubber being water, this may be accomplished in a. number of different ways, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a flooded level section of a runway. This application can be used where the field is level and where the prevailing wind is in one direction, indicated by arrow I. The flooded section is in the form of a shallow pool 2 at the leeward end of the runway 3. This pool is formed by slightly depressing the desired area as shown in Fig. 2 which is a. longitudinal section.

If the runway is a wide one, the flooded area may be confined to one side so that planes taking off may skirt the pool if they desire as shown in Fig. 3 which is a transverse section through the runway.

At the side of the runway in Fig. 3 is shown the water supply which comes from a sump 4 by gravity through a pipe or narrow canal 5 running out to the pool from the sump. The water leve1 in the sump is maintained at the proper level by any convenient float valve controlling water from a feed pipe 1.

It will normally be found desirable to put the sump or supply system at the windward end of the pool so that in the event of a strong wind when the water is blown to the other end, a greater supply will be provided. If this entails an economic waste, the wind-blown water may be returned by a conduit (not shown) to the sump.

The water thickness may be from 4; inch up, depending on the type and speed of planes and the local wind velocity, but should never be enough to offer great resistance to the travel of the airplane. In some climates, such a pool will freeze and make an ice surface which is a low friction surface and will also accomplish the purposes of this invention. In such a climate it may be necessary to provide means of flooding the surface at intervals in order to renew the ice surface and keep it smooth if worn rough. accomplishing this renewal will depend upon the climate and traffic and is not shown.

1 :Under certain conditions; itv may be: desirable to keep this surface 2 frozen in warm weather and to do this it is only necessary to submerge refrigeration pipes 8 under the surface as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. shows a flowing sheet of water 9. This is useful where there is a grade to the runway.

Water from the header l0 flows in a sheet longitudinally down the sloping runway to a depressed drain H or ofi the sides of the runway and then flows through a return pipe 12 toxthe sump 4 from which the pump l3 lifts it to the header again. This system may be operated continuously or only upon the arrival of a planeas desired by the control tower. Such a system must be provided with means for replacing water lost through spray and evaporation and must in freezing weather by heat or by anti-freeze.

This system may be used to maintain a. thin sheet of ice on the leeward end of the runway infreezingweather and. also accomplishes the purposes of this invention.

..-In some installations, it maybe desirable to haveethe flow of water transverse of the landingnstrip in'which case theheader maybe located either in the'center with the drain on (the side or the header may be on the side and the drain'on the opposite side or in the center.

. Two other forms of this invention are shown in Fig. 6 which is a cross-sectionof a runway which is kept wet by a sprinklingsystem either with flush sprinkler. heads 14 or with a pipe along the side 15. In thissystem the water may be started just before the 'planes arrival and cut' oif just before the plane lands.

In a lesspreferred form of this invention; the surface is lubricated with wax or with-graphite and it is even possible to use smooth, round-sand similar to-that on ocean beaches, but this ismuch less desirable because it does not accomplish one of the desirable ends of this inventionthat of cooling the tire as well as does the water.

It willbeunderstood the drawing'and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broaderclaimsap-. pendedhereto, for various changes in design, structure, and arrangement maybe made/without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim:

1. An improved airplane landing runwaycomprising a surface on all or part of which a lubricated medium is retained by: one or more depressions in the surface.

1 -2. -Anzaeroplane landing field having an area of its surface covered with grease, said grease covered area being large enough for the'wheels of a landing andforward-moving. aeroplane to land on I and roll a suitable distance forward on before it reaches the ungreased area of the landing field, the grease being thick enough, to-.-cause the wheels of the moving aeroplane to slide and slipsome in forward and sideways directions.

3. An aeroplane landing .field havingzanrarea of itssurface covered with a lubricantand another area of its surface not covered with -a:lubricant,- said lubricated area being largev enough for the wheels of a landing. and forward-moving-aeroplaneito land and roll a suitable distanceforward on before it reachesthe unlubricated area of. the landing field the lubricant being capable of caus ing the .wheels of the moving aeroplane to. slide and slipsome in aforward and sideways direction. v4; Anaeroplane landing field having an area lubricant. covered areabeing: large'aenough fort-he of its surface covered with a fluid lubricant,-:said.

wheels of a landing and forward-moving aeroplane to land on and roll a suitable distance forward on before it reaches the unlubricated area of the landing field, the lubrication being thick enough to cause the wheels of the moving aeroplane to slide and slip some in forward and sideways directions.

5. An aeroplane landing field having an area of its surface covered with water, said watercovered' area being large enough for the wheels of a'landing and forward-moving aeroplane to land on and roll a su'table distance forward on '7 before it reaches the unwatered area of the landing field, the water being thick enough to cause be provided with proper precautions to protect it the wheels of the moving aeroplane to slide and slip some in forward and sideways directions.

6.An-aeroplane.1anding field having an area of its surface covered with wax, said wax-covered 1 area being-large enough for the wheels of a landing and forward-moving aeroplane to land on and roll a suitable distance forwardon before it:reaches the unwa-Xedarea of the landing field, the wax causing thewheels of the moving aeroplaneitoslide and slipsome in forward. and sideways directions.

'7. -An aeroplane landing runway. having an area of its surface depressed below the level'of the portionof therunway around the depression and a fiuid lubricant contained in the depression, the depression being large enough for the wheels of alanding and forward-moving aeroplane to-land onzandxroll a suitabledistance forward onbefore it reaches an undepressed'portion of the runway, the lubricant bein :thick enough to cause the wheels. of the forward moving aeroplane to slide.

8. 'An'aeroplane landing runway comprising a surface having a depressed area at -a portion thereof, a sump for containing fluid lubricant located in relation tothe depressed area, and a conduit-for conducting the fluid from'the sump to the :depressed area, whereby .fiuidilubricant flows from the'sump'throughthe conduitto the depressed. area to. maintain fluidv lubricant in the depressed area, theareacovered by the fiuidin the depressed area :being large enough for: the wheels of a landing and forward-.movingsaeroplane ::to..land on "and .roll a suitable. ldistance forwardtion before it reaches an undepressedportion of the runway, the fiuid lubricant being thick enoughto causethe wheels. of. the f orward-moving aeroplane to-slide and slip.

9. An .aeroplanexrunway comprisin a somewhatr'rinclined portiononwhich an aeroplaneis adaptediftoiland, a sump containing a fluidlubricant.located Lin :proximity; to 'said inclined .portion. a'pump located in relationvto the sump to pump theifluid above the level of-the fluid in the sump; a conduit from. the downstream .side of the pump "to an :upper T part of :said inclined '.portion, and a=ireturn conduit leading from alower. part of said inclined portionx-backxto the sump, whereby operation. of the :pumpcauses a flow. of fluid *lubricant'from'the: sump'rto the upper inclined portion, downzthe incline-p-toithe return conduit and back to: the, sumptwthe areaof said inclined-portion being large-enough for the wheels of 9. landing and" forward-moving aeroplane to land onand; roll jardistance forward on before it reaches an unlubricated areaof the :runway. -10; 'An aeroplane landing runway comprising a surface on which a fluid lubricating medium is adapted 'to be applied, and means .fortapplying said fluid ;1ubricant to .-.said' isurface,- Lsaid means comprising .a: plurality! of spray nozzles :extending tohthe surface 50f said portion: from .beneaththe 5 6 runway, and a conduit leading to said sprays and adapted to convey fluid lubricant under pressure, REFERENCES CITED whereby when the fluid lubricant i brought The following references are of record in the through the conduit, sprays of the lubricant are file of this patent:

spread over said runway portion, the area covered 5 by the sprayed lubricant being large enough for UNITED STATES PATENTS the wheels of a landing and forward-moving aero- Number Name Date plane to land and roll a distance forward on be- ,66 ,104 Martienssen Apr. 3, 1928 fore it reaches an unsprayed area of the runway, 6 5 stromberg Jan. 5, 1937 the rate of flow of the spray being sufiicient to 10 FOREIGN PATENTS cause the wheels of the moving aeroplane to slide and slip somewhat in landing, Number Country ate ROBERT Q BURT 321,244 Great Britain NOV. 7, 1929 

